Building a Configuration Management System with Chef: A Practical Deep Dive

Building a Configuration Management System with Chef: A Practical Deep Dive

Remember when system administrators had to manually configure servers like they were performing some kind of digital archaeology? Click here, configure that, restart this service, hope nothing breaks? Those days are long gone—welcome to the world of Infrastructure as Code, where Chef turns your chaotic server setup into reproducible, version-controlled declarations that would make any DevOps engineer weep tears of joy. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking “wouldn’t it be nice if I could just code my infrastructure the same way I code applications?...

November 7, 2025 · 9 min · 1752 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Why Code Complexity Might Actually Be a Good Thing

Why Code Complexity Might Actually Be a Good Thing

There’s a widespread belief in software development circles that we should minimize complexity at all costs. It’s treated like a cardinal sin, whispered about in code reviews like some kind of software taboo. “Keep it simple,” they say. “Reduce complexity,” the metrics dashboards scream. But here’s the thing—I’m going to take a stance that might get me some raised eyebrows: complexity isn’t your enemy. Negligence is. Before you close this tab thinking I’ve lost my mind, hear me out....

November 7, 2025 · 8 min · 1695 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Introduction to Raku (Perl 6): Mastering the Multi-Paradigm Language That Refuses to Fit in a Box

Introduction to Raku (Perl 6): Mastering the Multi-Paradigm Language That Refuses to Fit in a Box

Have you ever felt like most programming languages are trying too hard to be something they’re not? Like they wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and think, “Today I’m going to be a pure functional language” or “No, actually, I’m strictly object-oriented”? Well, let me introduce you to Raku—the programming language that looked at all those rules and decided they were more like suggestions. Raku, formerly known as Perl 6 (yes, that Perl), is what happens when you take decades of Perl wisdom, throw in modern programming concepts, and refuse to compromise on expressiveness....

November 6, 2025 · 12 min · 2529 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Why You Should Occasionally Use Beta Software in Production Environments

Why You Should Occasionally Use Beta Software in Production Environments

Look, I know what you’re thinking. “Beta software in production? That’s insane. That’s how companies end up on Reddit’s r/catastrophicfailure.” And you’re not entirely wrong—it can be a disaster. But here’s the thing: sometimes, calculated risks with beta software can actually strengthen your infrastructure, accelerate your innovation, and give you insights that months of internal testing simply cannot provide. Let me be clear upfront: this isn’t about deploying untested chaos to your production environment and hoping for the best....

November 6, 2025 · 10 min · 2033 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Apache Airflow vs Luigi: A Comprehensive Guide to Workflow Orchestration

Apache Airflow vs Luigi: A Comprehensive Guide to Workflow Orchestration

If you’ve ever found yourself trying to orchestrate complex data pipelines, you’ve probably heard the age-old question: “Should I go with Airflow or Luigi?” It’s the workflow management equivalent of the great coffee debate—both are widely loved, both have passionate advocates, and both will definitely get the job done. The catch? One’s a sleek espresso machine, and the other’s a reliable coffee press. In this guide, we’re going to dissect both Apache Airflow and Luigi, not just telling you which one is “better” (spoiler alert: it depends), but giving you the practical knowledge to make an informed decision for your specific use case....

November 5, 2025 · 9 min · 1762 words · Maxim Zhirnov